306


Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies

Let./Vol. 69 (135)



Št./No. 4/2018
Str. /pp. 306–324

Jelena Maksimović,
Jelena Osmanović, and Lazar Stošić

ISSN 0038 0474

Teachers as reflective practitioners with
the function of improving educational
practice in primary schools in Serbia
Abstract. In modern schools directed towards change, teachers face ever-increasing expectations imposed
on them by Ministry of Education and society itself. A teacher is not only a conveyer of knowledge; but
also a reflective practitioner. This work discusses educational changes, advancement of educational practice, as well as new roles that teachers assume in contemporary school. Are teachers actively engaged in
improving their own educational practice? Answering this question is one of the goals of this study, which
is focused on investigating teachers’ reflectionson improving their teaching practice. More specifically,
teachers’ reflections about exchanging experiences with their co-workers, self-evaluation of their own
work, their activities aimed at professional development, collaboration with their students, and ways of
raising student awareness about current social issues are analyzed. An evaluation scale (Akbari 2007)
was used to gauge teachers’ attitudes about aspects of reflective practice with respect to the cycle of
education (lower- and higher-grade teachers) and their experience level (up to 10 years, from 11–20 years,
and over 20 years). Overall, this study was conducted on a sample composed of 240 teachers in Serbia.
The empirical part of the research found a positive answer to the question: Are teachers actively included
in improving their own teaching practice? This study was an effort to demonstrate the significance of
reflective practice in advancing educational processes in Serbian elementary schools.
Keywords: improvement of educational practice, reflective practice, teacher reflection, teacher researcher.
UDC: 37.011.3
Scientific article

Jelena Maksimović, Ph.D, associate professor, University of Niš, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of
Pedagogy, Ćirila i Metodija 2, 18 000 Niš, Serbia e-mail; jelena.maksimovic@filfak.ni.ac.rs
Jelena Osmanović, MA, teaching assistant, University of Niš, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Pedagogy, Ćirila i Metodija 2, 18 000 Niš, Serbia e-mail; jelena.osmanovic@filfak.ni.ac.rs
Lazar Stošić, PhD, assistant professor, College of academic studies Dositej, Belgrade, Trg Nikole Pašića
7, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia e-mail; lazarstosic@vsdositej.edu.rs



Maksimović, Osmanović, Stošić    307

Introduction
In these rapidly changing times, education becomes critically important for
the success of every society. Such changes are reflected in the evolving role of the
teacher, their relationship with students, their teaching methods, and the overall
teaching process. In a school embracing innovative changes directed towards the
application of technologically advanced tools for the advancement of learning (the
use of multimedia devices, smart boards, power point presentations, etc.), teachers
cannot be just passive users of results typically obtained by professional researchers
within academic institutions and research centers but must also become active participants in the research process itself. In traditional education, the front-and-center
position of the teacher with a pronounced lecturing role was dominant, while the
students were more or less passive recipients of information. In contrast, the role
of teachers in contemporary schools has changed significantly. Their main role is
no longer to merely convey information, but to become a professional and a leader
who organizes, directs, and leads the learning process, thus guiding students in
adopting practical, useful knowledge and becoming reflective practitioners themselves (Bolton 2010; Jay and Johnson 2002; Urzúa and Vásquez 2008).
The contemporary school is directed towards students and emphasizes learning
along with active and interactive lecturing. The main challenge in understanding
how schools can improve their educational performance resides in identifying
the source of change, which means that scools can identify changes only with the
assistance of teachers. There are various theoretical approaches to this matter.
One approach, in its simplified version, suggests that school development must be
initiated and lead from the outside, as schools have neither the capacity nor the
will to change. On the other hand, schools must themselves identify problems and
their causes and engage is addressing them. The students should be taught, but it
is also necessary to enable them to learn independently. This paper analyzes the
characteristics of reflexive practice and teacher reflection with an overview of the
situation in Serbia.

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Maksimović,
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Reflective practice and teacher reflection
The review of the one hundred-year history of reflective practice confirms
the fact that there are various definitions, theoretical foundations, and works of
contemporary scientific authorities. Literature surveys on reflective practice point
to a multitude of definitions about what the term means and encompasses. Dewey
(1933, p. 49) believed that teachers must not only fulfill programs and execute plans,
but that they should also play an active role in developing these programs, plans,
and educational reforms. Dewey maintained that the learning process should be one
of establishing hypotheses, conducting research, testing, evaluations, and reaching
conclusions that would result in the modification of current knowledge or, if needed,
further research. It is this process that he considered reflective practice. Dewey
(ibid) observed that teachers contemplate if their actions are appropriate attempts
to analyze lecturing and work experiences, which lead to a further improvement of
the teacher, the student, and the learning overall. He viewed reflection as an active,
permanent, and careful evaluation of conviction, or an assumed form of knowledge,
in light of their support and aspirations.
When comparing Dewey’s views on reflective practice with newer definitions,
it seems that the definitions provided by other authors treat reflective practice
as an approach to teaching that requires practical values and theories be applied
in everyday activities through the reevaluation of activities, both reflectively
(Bolton 2010) or through the process of self-observation and self-evaluation, of
the teachers during lecturing. Meanwhile, Milrood (1999, p. 10) defined reflection as a process of uncritically observing the environment in order to reach
decisions.
Teaching reflection is a theoretical concept accepted in the literature and is
one of the most significant ways of examining and changing both the teacher as
a professional and their own practices (Colton and Sparks-Langer 1993; Dewey
1933; Jay and Johnson 2002; Rodgers 2002; Schön 1983; Schön 1991; Urzúa and
Vásquez 2008). Schön’s (1983, 1991) concepts of thinking in and about action
conceptualized the teacher’s discussions and classroom learning and constitute a
sociocultural context for their learning. Reflection is, according to this division,
a method of self-examination aimed at evaluating if the correct and appropriate
course of action was taken in order to progress and assign meaning to individuals’
actions by examining their motives and attitudes. In other words, reflection means
achieving intentions and self-criticism with the goal of refining an individual’s
teaching practice.
Urzúa and Vásquez (2008) described reflection as reflection for action and
future practice. Zeichner (1994a, 1994b) made a considerable contribution to the
area of teacher reflection by considering its social, moral, and political aspects of
lecturing. From his perspective, teachers should not only reflect generally but should
also utilize specific concepts and ideas to reflect upon, such as teaching methods,
teaching materials, communication with students, cooperation with colleagues.
Jay and Johnson (2002, p. 20) stated that reflective lecturing assumes recognizing,
examining, investigating, and reflecting upon implications of someone’s beliefs,


Teachers
as reflective practitioners with the function of improving educational practice ...

309

experiences, attitudes, knowledge, and values, as well as upon possibilities and
limitations present in the social environment in which the teacher works. Based
on the above definitions, it can be stated that reflection means to stop and think
about one’s own actions and thoughts.
Many experts in this area (LaBoskey 1994; Schön 1987; Zeichner and Liston
1996) researched, both theoretically and empirically, the contribution of reflective
practice on the teacher’s efficiency. The results of those studies indicate that reflective practice helps teachers avoid impulsive and routine behavior, helps them in
acquiring daily experiences, and enables them to act intentionally and with a purpose,
all of which elevates their awareness of teaching, enables deeper understanding,
and results in a positive change. As a result of reflective practice, teachers become
better observers of classroom behavior, which raises self-awareness about their
teaching decisions and reasons behind them. This in turn contributes to increased
precision in practice, given their increasing ability to understand the motivation
behind intuitive decisions (Nolan and Huebner 1989). This understanding offers
information about the teacher’s approach and reduces their cognitive dissonance,
which then reduces reliance on traditional practice, should it not produce the desired
educational results (Deutsch 1996). In turn, this independence from conventional
practice contributes to forming opinions based on convictions (LaBosky 1994),
whereby teachers become not only consumers of knowledge, but above all, the
primary creators of new knowledge. Consequently, this contributes to the teacher’s
intellect, improves practical self-management, increases their ability as a practitioner to stay current with their work, and to realize the constructivist paradigm
of lifetime learning (Kelly 1993; Nolan and Huebner 1989).
In addition to its influence on practicality, reflectivity is considered to influence students as well. How the teacher’s reflective practice influences the critical
abilities of their students is a topic often discussed in the literature and was at
the core of recent appeals for educational reforms in Serbia. As teachers increase
their awareness of reflective practice, they become behavioral models for their
students and are more likely to incite similar behavior (Nolan and Huebner 1989).
However, a cursory survey of the literature reveals a lack of empirical studies on
the direct influence of the teacher’s reflectivity on student achievements (Stewart
and Richardson 2000).
Contemporary education requires competent teachers who organize lectures
and encourage and motivate their students, since the competence of teachers has a
direct influence on the achievements of their students. Teachers who are thoughtful
and rational strive to achieve more so that the next generation of teachers will
influence their students more positively. This is attainable only through constant
professional development, as educational institutions can neither be developed, nor
educate a competent student without a learned teacher and their skills, abilities,
motivation, and expanded professional role. One way to introduce the teacher’s
innovations into the educational process is accredited professional meetings of
the Republic of Serbia, aimed at advancing teaching practice through exchanging
professional experiences (Nikolić 2015). Information that teachers obtain in this
way helps them gain insight into their own work, spot deficiencies and advantages,

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Maksimović,
Osmanović, Stosić

and motivates them to identify other means of bettering their educational practice.
Stošić and Stošić (2013) noted that teachers need to prepare themselves for the
implementation of innovations in education in order to get the most out of them
and therefore shift from a traditional to modern school. Today, teachers are trained
to use innovations in teaching, but they are not sufficiently trained to implement
it in the classroom (Stošić and Stošić 2015).
Therefore, a reflective teacher should be capable of conducting small-scale
research aimed at evaluating the efficiency of new ideas in their own classroom.
Such a teacher not only adopts didactic models encountered in the literature but is
also expected to test and modify different approaches through a cycle of carefully
evaluated research. Thus, the teacher becomes a reflective practitioner, focused on
improving their own educational work.
This study focuses on examining teacher reflections on improving their teaching
practice. The goal of this study is to evaluate the importance of the teacher’s efforts
and participation in advancing their own teaching practice.
Methods
Research problems and tasks
Specific tasks established in this research led to the postulation of the following
hypotheses: 1) there is an exchange of experiences between teachers; 2) teachers
are engaged in self-evaluation of their work; 3) teachers are engaged in activities
directed at their professional development; 4) there is a collaboration between the
teacher and students; and 5) teachers contribute to raising students’ awareness
about current social issues (tolerance, discrimination, addiction) through their own
practice. The hypotheses of the research were postulated on the basis of the stated
tasks—to examine the levels of statistically significant differences in the respondents’ answers regarding two variables: the stage of education (primary or secondary
school teachers) and the years of teaching experience (0–10, 11–20, over 21).
The sample
The sample consisting of school teachers is seen as an appropriate one as it
includes teachers of both lower and higher grades of primary schools in Serbia. Part
of this study was conducted by forwarding the instruments to teachers on social
networks and included a total of 240 teachers: 108 lower grade teachers (4 grades)
and 132 higher grade teachers-class elders (8 grades) in elementary schools during
the 2016/2017 school year.


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311

Techniques and instruments
A descriptive method was used for the research, while a scaling technique
was used for data gathering. A Likert scale (Teacher Reflectivity Questionnaire)
by Akbari (2007) was translated into Serbian, modified as needed, and used as an
instrument in this study. A five-grade estimations scale containing 28 items was used.
Data processing
Besides frequencies and percentages, the following statistical procedures were
used in the data analysis: Cronbach’s Alpha test, factor analysis, the arithmetic
mean, the standard deviation, the t-test, and ANOVA for independent samples.
Results
The reliability of the teacher reflectivity scale was determined to be very
high (Cronbach’s Alpha test = 0.93) by examining the metric characteristics of
the instrument (Table 1).
Cronbach’s Alpha test

N

0.93

28

Table 1: Reliability scale of Teacher Reflexivity (TR)

The data factoring performed in this study emphasized the importance of the
following factors: professional development, social themes, lecturing, observation
and teaching, tolerance and democracy, and communication with students (Table 2).

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Factors

Maksimović,
Osmanović, Stosić

% of Variance

Professional Social
development issues

Lectures

Lecture
Tolerance and Conversation
observation democracy
with students

0.80*

0.00

-0.00

-0.06

-0.05

0.04

0.72

0.03

-0.12

0.00

-0.07

-0.04

0.59

0.15

0.01

-0.01

0.11

-0.15

0.47

0.10

-0.00

0.22

-0.03

-0.23

0.45

0.30

0.02

0.02

0.34

-0.10

0.38

-0.15

-0.15

0.29

-0.03

-0.15

0.05

0.78

0.01

-0.03

0.16

0.07

0,06

0.72

-0.15

-0.09

0.04

0.11

-0.07

0.71

0.14

0.12

-0.08

-0.30

-0.03

0.66

-0.05

0.07

0.00

-0.18

0.05

0.63

-0.22

0.11

-0.10

0,12

0.03

0.50

-0.06

0.16

-0.26

-0.17

0.30

0.36

-0.18

0.02

-0.21

-0.05

0.07

-0.02

-0.72

-0.00

-0.36

-0.04

-0.03

0.11

-0.69

-0.03

0.06

-0.27

0.19

0.23

-0.63

-0.23

0.17

-0.02

-0.14

0.17

-0.60

0.29

0.19

-0.12

-0.15

0.01

-0.58

0.43

0.06

-0.02

0.24

0.19

-0.52

-0.14

0.07

0.01

0.33

0.02

-0.50

0.07

-0.27

0.03

0.31

-0.01

-0.45

0.06

-0.39

-0.05

-0.05

0.15

0.06

0.80

-0.15

0.05

0.42

-0.02

-0.11

0.51

0.34

-0.09

0.34

0.05

-0.06

0.49

0.40

-0.12

0.14

0.41

0.07

0.18

-0.45

-0.14

-0.16

0.05

-0.10

-0.04

0.11

-0.91

0.12

-0.06

0.00

-0.07

-0.03

-0.79

0.30

0.03

0.01

0.08

-0.24

-0.54

Table 2: Factor analysis
* The values of the items with the highest cumulative % of variance that comprise the first factor further
analyzed in the statistical data processing


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The first extracted factor is termed professional development and encompasses
the following statements: I read news articles or search the Internet to learn about
the latest achievements in my profession. I read books/articles on efficient lecturing
to improve my performance in class. I conduct small-scale research in my class to
improve awareness about teaching process. I learn/train at meetings/workshops
related to teaching/teaching issues. I have considered writing articles about my
experiences in the classroom. I communicate/exchange my experiences with my
colleagues and seek their feedback/advice.
The second extracted factor is social theme and encompasses: I think about
political aspects of my lectures and about ways in which I influence the political
attitudes of my students. I think about cases of social injustice in my environment
and try to discuss them during my lectures. I include less-frequently discussed
topics such as: age, HIV, discrimination towards women, poor, and minorities. I
think about how gender, social background, and race influence the accomplishments
of my students. I think about other events that can influence my lectures. I think
of ways to enable my students to change their social behavior to combat poverty,
discrimination, and racial/ethnic stereotypes. I think about inconsistencies and
contradictions in my work.
The third extracted factor is teaching and involves: I think about the meaning
and significance of my work as a teacher. I think about ways my life experiences
and background influence the way I define myself as a teacher. I think about my
teaching philosophy and the ways it influences my teaching. I observe lectures of
other teachers in order to become acquainted with their work. After every lecture,
I document its accomplishments and failures, or discuss them with my colleagues.
I think about positive or negative role models I had as a student and the way they
influenced my work. I think about my advantages and disadvantages as a teacher.
I try to find out which aspects of my work I enjoy.
The fourth extracted factor is observation of teaching and encompasses the
following: I discuss practical/theoretical questions with my colleagues. I retain
lecture material for subsequent discussions.
The fifth extracted factor is tolerance and democracy and includes: I ask my
colleagues to observe my classes and comment on them. I think about ways to
promote tolerance and democracy in my classes, and in the society in general.
The last extracted factor is conversation with students and encompasses: I talk
with my student in order to learn more about their families, hobbies, interests,
and inclinations, as well as their learning styles and tendencies. I ask my students
if they like their assignments or not.
For the purposes of this research, the first factor with the highest percentage
of variance is analyzed (Table 2).
The teacher’s awareness of what is desired does not always influence their
practice or implicit pedagogy, even when it fits the norms. Therefore, the prevailing
normativity theories need to be enhanced with experimental insights into the
teacher’s work. The results of this study are described below.
This study sought to answer the question of whether teachers exchange experiences with their colleagues. The teachers expressed the highest agreement with

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Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies

the statement that they exchange classroom experiences with their colleagues and
seek their advice. Most teachers (64.2%) stated that they exchange their classroom
experiences with, and seek advice from, their colleagues, while over half (55.8%)
discussed practical or theoretical questions with them. About a third of teachers
(37.5%) occasionally observe lectures by their colleagues, while 36.3% do not ask
for their lectures to be observed by another teacher. Observing lectures of others
is particularly useful, as it can incite the teacher to think about their own work.
Lectures by colleagues can serve as a model for the teacher, albeit either good or
bad. Also, observing lectures by others is significant due to the creative tension that
results from the teacher comparing their own methods with those of their colleagues.
Analysis of the t test results (Table 3) shows that the level of statistical significance (p) was lower than 0.05 for only two statements. For the statement “I
observe lectures by other teachers in order to become acquainted with their work,”
the statistical significance was found to be 0.01, which implies that there is a statistically relevant difference in the answers depending on the educational stage of
their students. Also, a statistically significant difference in answers was also found
for the statement “I ask my colleagues to observe my lectures, and comment on my
teaching” (p = 0.00), with lower grade teachers standing out, based on the arithmetic mean. By comparing the values of arithmetic mean (M), it can be observed
that higher grade teachers (M = 3.25) appear more inclined to observe lectures by
their colleagues compared to their lower grade counterparts (M = 2.75).
Professional development
I observe lectures by other teachers in order to
become acquainted with their work.

I ask my colleagues to observe my lectures and
comment on my teaching.

M

SD

lower grade teachers

3.31

1.13

higher grade teachers

2.94

0.97

lower grade teachers

3.25

1.20

higher grade teachers

2.75

1.14

t

p

2.70

0.01

3.29

0.00

Table 3: Exchange of experiences with colleagues with respect to the educational cycles

By analyzing the ANOVA test (Table 4), it was found that a statistically significant difference in the answers of teachers with different work experience only
exists for the statement about discussing practical/theoretical questions with their
colleagues (p = 0.00). Based on the M value, the strongest inclination was observed
among the least experienced teachers. This is not surprising, given that teachers in
the early stages of their career often rely to their senior colleagues for advice, and,
as stated by Kyriacou (1997), they spend a certain amount of time observing more
experienced teachers in the classroom. Kundačina and Stamatović (2011) indicated
that a majority of teachers asked about it exchange the learnings and information
gathered through professional development programs with their colleagues through
both formal and informal communication. In addition to the knowledge and skills
required for the job, collaboration with their colleagues is important. Relationships

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Teachers
as reflective practitioners with the function of improving educational practice ...

in a school often depend on the distribution of power, standing, and reputation.
Every organization, schools included, is a system of small groups with working
interpersonal relationships.
Professional development

I discuss practical/theoretical
questions with my colleagues.

M

SD

Up to 10 years

3.97

0.86

11–20 years

3.47

0.88

More than 21 years

3.47

0.95

ANOVA

p

7.30

0.00

Table 4: Exchange of experience with colleagues in relation to years of experience

The obtained results confirm the hypothesis that teachers exchange experiences with their colleagues, although slightly more than a third are not interested
in attending or having their lectures attended by other teachers. This is surprising
given that observing lectures by other teachers can serve as a model for one’s own
lectures. The greater inclination displayed by lower grade teachers is not surprising
given that they typically deal with the same topics and have the same interests,
and hence can learn more by observing lectures of their colleagues, which is one
of the methods of self-evaluation.
In this study, a hypothesis was put forward that teachers do engage in
self-evaluation of their work. Data analysis indicates that every statement has a
high level of agreement amongst teachers (from 51.7–80.8%). The highest number
(80.8%) agreed with the statement that they try to determine which aspect of their
work offers the greatest student satisfaction, compared to a mere 2.9% who had a
negative attitude towards that statement. The importance of self-evaluation was
emphasized by Stančić (2015), whose study shows that self-evaluation is useful for
evaluating one’s own traits and work, improving practice, and in contributing to
the feeling of satisfaction and motivation for further work.
By analyzing the t test results (Table 5), p < 0.05 was found only with the
statement “as a teacher I think about my teaching philosophy and the ways it influences my teaching” (p = 0.01). The M value indicates that higher grade teachers (M
= 3.75) think more about their teaching philosophy compared to their lower grade
counterparts (M = 4.10). This is not expected, given that higher grade teachers
spend more time dealing with science and theoretical and philosophical issues,
while lower grade teachers are primarily occupied with teaching.
Professional development
As a teacher, I think about my
teaching philosophy and the ways it
influences my teaching.

N

M

SD

higher grade teachers

108

3.75

1.04

lower grade teachers

132

4.10

0.97

Table 5: Evaluation of one’s own work based on the stage of education

t

p

2.66

0.01

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Regarding their dependence on work experience, the ANOVA test results
(Table 6) display a statistically significant difference with two statements. Comparison of arithmetic mean values indicates that less experienced teachers tend
to contemplate more both their strengths and weaknesses as teachers (p = 0.04;
M = 4.35), and the positive and negative role models they encountered as students
(p = 0.03; M = 3.92).
Professional development

I think about my strengths and
weaknesses as a teacher.

I think about the positive and
negative models that I had as a
student and how they influenced
my work.

M

SD

Up to 10 years

4.35

0.70

11–20 years

4.01

0.89

More than 21 years

4.12

0.86

Up to 10 years

3.92

0.88

11–20 years

3.59

0.09

More than 21 years

3.50

1.15

ANOVA

p

3.40

0.04

3.48

0.03

Table 6: Evaluation of one’s own work based on the years of work experience

The data indicate that a large number of teachers contemplate the importance
of their work, their teaching philosophy, their role models as students, and their
strengths and weakness.
One hypothesis put forward in this study is that teachers engage in professional development activities. The data show that a high number of teachers
(75.4%) read articles pertaining to efficient lecturing in order to improve their
work, 70.5% read articles or utilize the Internet to stay current with advancement
in their profession, while 57.9% of all teachers attend workshops and professional
meetings. However, less than a third have contemplated writing articles based on
their classroom experiences.
The t test results (Table 7) point to a statistically significant difference in
answers related to writing articles, depending on the grade they are teaching
(p = 0.01). The M value shows that a higher number of lower grade teachers
(M = 3.08) contemplates writing articles compared to higher grade teachers
(M = 2.65).
Professional development
I think about writing articles that
are based on my class experiences.

N

M

SD

lower grade teachers

108

3.08

1.17

higher grade teachers

132

2.65

1.22

t

p

2.72

0.01

Table 7: Doing the activities aimed at the professional specialization of a teacher considering the stage
of education of the students’ that they teach

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The ANOVA test analysis (Table 8) shows that p < 0.05 (p = 0.02) with only
one statement: I think about writing articles that are based on my class experiences.
However, the results show that less-experienced teachers are more likely to follow
advancements in their profession (M = 4.25), while teachers with 11–20 years of
experience appear less interested (M = 3.86).
Professional development

I read news articles or search the
Internet to familiarize myself with
the latest achievements in my field.

M

SD

Up to 10 years

4.25

0.83

11–20 years

3.86

0.91

More than 21 years

3.97

0.95

ANOVA

p

4.35

0.02

Table 8: Engaging in the activities aimed at the professional specialization, considering the years of
work experience

The obtained data thus indicate that teachers do engage in professional development activities (reading articles about efficient lecturing, advancements in
their profession, and participate in workshops).
It was also hypothesized that teachers collaborate with their students. Students will learn better when there is mutual understanding and respect with their
teachers. A student should be viewed as an individual with their own needs, and
their opinion about different values and experiences should be appreciated. Results
indicate that 83.3% of all teachers communicate with their students in order to
learn their inclination and learning styles, 67.1% try to learn about their students’
families, hobbies, and interests, while many teachers (79.6%) seek feedback from
students about their assignments.
The t test results for two statements (Table 9) point to the existence of a
statistically significant difference in answers, dependent on educational cycle
(p = 0.00 and p = 0.00). By comparing M values, it is clear that lower grade
teachers use communication with students to learn about their inclinations
and learning styles (M = 4.39). By comparison, higher grade teachers (M =
4.37) use communication to learn about a student’s family, hobbies, interests,
and inclinations (M = 3.47). This is hardly surprising given that lower grade
teachers spend more time with their students and therefore have opportunities to talk about family, hobbies, etc., compared to higher grade teachers who,
due to the limited time spent with their students are more focused on lecture
contents.

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Professional development
I talk to my students so as to learn what
their talents and learning styles are.
I talk to my students so as to learn more
about their family, hobbies, interests,
and talents.

M

SD

lower grade teachers

4.39

0.64

higher grade teachers

4.08

0.79

lower grade teachers

4.37

1.02

higher grade teachers

3.47

0.91

t

p

3.33

0.00

7.22

0.00

Table 9: The presence of collaboration between the teacher and students considering the stage of
education

A statistically significant difference in answers depending on work experience
is only present with the statement about conducting small-scale research in the
classroom (Table 10). The level of statistical significance is p = 0.03. Research
activities are conducted more by less-experienced teachers, which is expected given
their increased motivation for research and improvement of their work in general,
because young teachers do have a strong desire to prove their worth as teachers
at the very start of their career. The data suggests that less-experienced teachers
assume a research role more readily.
Professional development

M

SD

Up to 10 years
I conduct small-scale research in my class
to improve awareness about teaching
11–20 years
process
More than 21 years

3.73

0.83

3.39

0.95

3.38

0.95

ANOVA p

3.418

0.03

Table 10: The presence of the collaboration between the teacher and the student considering the years
of work experience

Therefore, it can be concluded that more than two thirds of surveyed teachers
communicate with their students to learn about their hobbies, inclinations, capabilities.
Another question asked in this study was whether teachers contribute to raising
student awareness of relevant issues in today’s world (tolerance, discrimination,
substance abuse and addictions, etc.). The results show that teachers do contemplate
ways to promote tolerance and democracy in their classes (75.4%), ways to enable
students to engage in efforts against poverty, prejudice, and discrimination (64.6%),
and ways in which gender, social groups, and race influence the accomplishments of
their students (50.8%). This is significant since Akbari (2007) emphasized teaching
that is connected to broader social issues, such as gender equality, justice, poverty,
and discrimination. He also emphasized that reflexive learning should contain a
moral dimension, since teachers should regard themselves as reflective practitioners
and consider the social and ethical consequences of their work (Akbari 2007). The
one place where the study saw a large degree of disagreement amongst teachers

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Teachers
as reflective practitioners with the function of improving educational practice ...

(67.5%) was the statement that teachers ponder political aspects of their lectures
and the ways in which they influence the political opinions of their students. This
is to be expected considering that politics is often a sensitive discussion topic.
Data from the t test (Table 11) show a statistically significant difference in
almost every statement in this specific category. By calculating M values, it was
observed that, compared to higher grade teachers, lower grade teachers spend more
time contemplating ways to enable their students to change their social attitudes
and ways to promote tolerance and democracy in their classes. This is expected
given that these teachers spend more time with their students and are more focused on their class, which allows them to engage in these issues. On the other
hand, higher grade teachers spend more time on cases of social injustice in their
environments and on political aspects of teaching. Lower grade teachers are more
oriented towards teaching practice and relations between students in their class,
while higher grade teachers deal more with social and political issues.
Professional development

M

I think about cases of social inequality in my Lower grade teachers 3.16
surroundings and I try to discuss them in
my classes.
Higher grade teachers 3.46
I think about the ways in which I can
encourage my students to change their
social attitude in the fight against poverty,
discrimination, and gender prejudices.
I think about the political aspects of my
teaching and about the ways in which I can
influence my students’ political attitudes.
I think about the ways in which I can
promote tolerance and democracy in my
classes and in society in general.

Lower grade teachers

SD

t

p

2.10

0.04

2.55

0.01

2.05

0.04

2.29

0.02

1.06
1.14

4.01

0.86

Higher grade teachers 3.71

0.96

Lower grade teachers

1.98

1.26

Higher grade teachers 2.33

1.35

Lower grade teachers

4.11

0.77

Higher grade teachers 3.83

1.04

Table 11: The contribution of a teacher to raising student awareness of current world problems, considering the stage of education

All the items belonging to factor 1 and extracted by factor analysis were grouped
into a single factor that carries the highest percentage of cumulative variance, so that
a comparison of the responses with respect to the education cycle has been made.

Professional
development

Group Statistics

M

SD

Lower grade teachers

20.91

3.99

Higher grade teachers

20.13

4.03

Table 12. Professional improvement factor considering the stage of education

t

p

1,49

0.04

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Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies

The research data proved statistically significant differences in the respondents’ answers regarding the professional development factor. This factor was valued
more highly by lower-grade teachers than by higher-grade teachers. This result
confirmed the hypothesis that the teachers’ answers would differ significantly when
considering the stage of education variable, p < 0.05; p = 0.04.
(I) Years of
teaching
experience

(J) Years
of teaching
experience

Mean
Std. Error
Difference (I-J)

p

95% Confidence Interval

up to 10 years

11–20 years

1.58*

0.62

0.03

0.06

3.09

over 21 years

1.42

0.67

0.10

-0.19

3.04

up to 10 years

-1.58*

0.62

0.03

-3.09

-0.06

over 21 years

-0.16

0.61

1.00

-1.64

1.32

up to 10 years

-1.42

0.67

0.10

-3.04

0.19

11–20 years

0.16

0.61

1.00

-1.32

1.64

11–20 years

over 21 years

Table 13: Professional development factor in comparison to the years of teaching experience variable
* The mean difference is significant at the .05 level.

The results obtained for the professional development factor show statistically significant differences in the respondents’ answers when consider the
years of teaching experience variable. The methods of multiple comparison and
Bonferroni post hoc test determined a difference between the teachers with less
teaching experience and those with more. Professional improvement was valued
more highly by the teachers with fewer years of teaching experience than by their
more experienced colleagues (p = 0.03). The results confirmed the hypothesis that
the teachers’ answers would differ significantly based on the years of teaching
experience variable (p < 0.05).
Discussion and conclusion
The justification for this study was to provide an opportunity to gain insight
into the complex phenomena of teaching reflection and change. It highlighted the
complexity and constantly changing nature of teaching, as well as the way reflexive
teaching should develop.
One conclusion of the study was that reflection means constant learning and
continuous contemplation by teachers about their actions. The opportunity to reflect
on their own practice creates a specific picture within a supportive environment,
but the picture that cannot be generalized to involve the whole population. It thus
represents one of the limitations of this research. This also creates possibilities
for teachers to use reflective action to determine future areas of improvement in
their lectures.


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as reflective practitioners with the function of improving educational practice ...

321

The data showed that 64.2% of those surveyed exchange classroom experiences
with their colleagues, while slightly more than half (55.8%) contemplates practical
and theoretical questions. Therefore, it can be concluded that an exchange of
knowledge exists between colleagues. The comparison of M values suggests that
lower grade teachers are more inclined to attend and observe lectures by their colleagues, compared to higher grade teaches, and that they seek the presence of their
colleagues in their classes more frequently. By comparing answers of the surveyed
groups, it was determined that practical and theoretical questions are more often
contemplated by colleagues with less than 10 years of experience
Since a large portion of those surveyed (from 51.7–80.8%) ponder the significance of their work, their strengths and weakness as teachers, their teaching
philosophy, and the positive and negative role models they had as students, it can
be concluded that they are involved in self-evaluation. The results of the ANOVA
showed that self-evaluation is more prevalent among those surveyed who are at
the beginning of their careers.
A total of 75.4% of those surveyed answered that they read articles pertaining
to efficient lecturing in order to improve their work, while 70.5% both reads articles and used the Internet in order to stay abreast of the developments in their
professional area. Another 57.9% of participants take part in workshops or professional meetings, which confirms that teachers engage in professional development
activities. The data from F test also showed that the teachers with less than 10
years of experience are more interested in learning about developments in their
profession. Generally, all surveyed showed low inclination to write articles about
their classroom experiences, with the t test data showing that this trend is more
pronounced among lower grade teachers.
Teachers do engage with their students and try to learn about their students’
interests, tendencies, and learning styles. The M data showed that lower grade
teachers engage in such activities more often than their higher-grade counterparts.
It can also be concluded that teachers contribute to raising awareness in their
students about current problems (tolerance, discrimination, substance addictions,
etc.). From the ANOVA test, a level of statistical significance greater than 0.05 (p
< 0.05) was found, so it can be concluded that there is no statistically significant
difference between answers of the surveyed with different experience levels. From
the t test and the M values, it can be seen that lower grade teachers think more
about enabling their students to change their social behavior and about ways to
promote tolerance and democracy in their classes, compared to their more experienced colleagues.
Finally, we can conclude that teachers do collaborate with their colleagues
and students, engage in professional development activities, and, through their
own work, help raise awareness among their students about current problems.
The t test data showed that lower grade teachers are more oriented towards
teaching practices and their enhancement and try to know their students better,
which is expected given the amount of time they spend with their students. On
the other hand, higher grade teachers are more focused on the taught subject and
social issues. The ANOVA test data showed that teachers with less than 10 years

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Maksimović,
Osmanović, Stosić

of experience are more willing to collaborate with their colleagues and engage in
self-evaluation, stay informed about advancements in their profession, and perform
small-scale classroom research compared to their more experienced colleagues, and
can therefore be considered more interested in improving their work.
The hypotheses of the research were postulated on the basis of the stated
tasks—to examine the levels of statistically significant differences in the respondents’ answers regarding two variables: the stage of education (primary or secondary
school teachers) and the years of teaching experience (0–10, 11–20, over 21). All of
the postulated hypotheses were confirmed by the results obtained from the t test
and ANOVA test.
The reflective approach to one’s own practice, whether teaching or research,
is an important precondition to learning what teachers do, what they know, and
how to make improvements, both as individuals and as a society. This study was an
effort to demonstrate the significance of reflective practice in advancing educational
practice in Serbian schools.
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Jelena Maksimović in Jelena Osmanović (Univerza v Nišu, Srbija), Lazar Stošić (Visoka šola akademskih
študij, Dositej), Srbija)
UČITELJI KOT RAZMIŠLJUJOČI PRAKTIKI IN NJIHOVA VLOGA PRI IZBOLJŠANJU
VZGOJNO-IZOBRAŽEVALNE PRAKSE V OSNOVNIH ŠOLAH V SRBIJI
Povzetek: V sodobni šoli se od učiteljev pričakuje vse več. Niso zgolj prenašalci znanja, temveč tudi
razmišljujoči praktiki. V prispevku obravnavamo spremembe na področju vzgoje in izobraževanja,
izboljšave pedagoške prakse, pa tudi nove vloge, ki jih učitelji prevzemajo v sodobni šoli. Ali ti dejavno
sodelujejo pri izpopolnjevanju lastne pedagoške prakse? Iskanje odgovora na to vprašanje je eden od
ciljev raziskave, ki se je osredotočala na proučevanje razmišljanj učiteljev o možnostih izboljševanja
lastne prakse poučevanja, oz. natančneje, na razmisleke učiteljev o tem, kako lahko svoje izkušnje izmenjajo s sodelavci, opravijo samoevalvacijo svojega dela, svoje dejavnosti usmerijo v profesionalni razvoj,
sodelujejo z učenci ter kako lahko ozaveščajo učence o družbenih izzivih. Uporabili smo evalvacijsko
lestvico (Akbari 2007), s katero smo ocenili odnos razrednih in predmetnih učiteljev do omenjenih vidikov reflektivne prakse glede na to, koliko let izkušenj imajo (do 10 let, od 11 do 20 let, več kot 20 let).
V raziskavo je bilo vključenih 240 učiteljev iz Srbije. Z empiričnimi podatki smo prišli do ugotovitve,
da je mogoče na vprašanje, ali so učitelji dejavno vključeni v izpopolnjevanje lastne pedagoške prakse,
odgovoriti pozitivno. Pokazali smo tudi na pomen reflektivne prakse za izboljšanje kakovosti pedagoškega dela v srbskih osnovnih šolah.
Ključne besede: izboljšanje pedagoške prakse, reflektivna praksa, refleksija učiteljev, učitelj raziskovalec, razmišljujoči praktik
Elektronski naslov: jelena.maksimovic@filfak.ni.ac.rs